So you have found the most beautiful fun little pattern and you want to give cross stitching a try but you aren’t sure about what other essential items and materials you need to get started? Cross stitching is a simple craft and the truth is, you don’t need a lot of fancy tools or accessories to get started. That being said, there are a few that you absolutely do need to have. I’ve put together a quick list of the ones I feel are absolutely essential to succeed.
1. Scissors
Obviously you must have something you can use to cut and trim your threads. Ideally you would use a lovely pair of little embroidery scissors but any scissors will certainly do to start out with. Another alternative that I love to use, is a thread cutter on a pendant around my neck. This works great, especially when you are stitching on the go. I took them on vacation and used them on the plane earlier this year and it was great to have something that works everywhere and isn’t easy to drop or lose.
2. The Right Floss/threads
Not all threads are created equally! There are lots of options that are available for you in discount and dollar stores but I caution against these threads. They are generally not fabulous quality and often run or bleed when washed, even in cold water. After all the hours of effort put into any stitching project, imagine the great disappointment of trying to clean your master piece and finding the red has turned large parts of it an unsightly pink! This is far more common that you’d think.
Generally if you purchase a good quality cross stitch kit, they come with premium threads and if you want to purchase your own, I would highly recommend Anchor or DMC for most threads. There are some other smaller companies that provide beautiful specialty threads and in those cases it is very important to follow all manufacturing instructions on care and washing.
3. Lighting
This was a topic I hesitated to add to my essentials list because of course you don’t need any fancy lighting system to start cross stitching. As a twelve year old girl I certainly didn’t purchase anything at all, actually not until recently did I go out and purchase lighting specifically with cross stitching in mind. The reason I chose to include it, is because I wanted to bring attention to the fact that good lighting is extremely important for your eyes. Natural light is absolutely the best option and so nothing special is needed for that, just a cozy spot somewhere in a bright room or beside a window.
If you chose to stitch at night though, then it is important to make sure you have good lighting. I’ve certainly spent countless hours stitching in my kitchen and dining room where I have great lighting already available during dark hours. If you have a space like this that you are comfortable stitching in then you should be all set, but if not, then it is really important to get a good quality light so you don’t strain your eyesight.
You do not need to buy a special light for stitching, just a good quality reading light works perfectly. I bought a couple of lights from Amazon for a reasonable price last year that are adjustable both physically as well as colour and brightness of the light. These work really well to adjust to whatever use but I especially love them for stitching.
4. Needles
You can’t accomplish much stitching without needles! But there are a lot of types and sizes to chose from. As a general rule, tapestry needles are the kind that work best for cross stitch, this is because they have a blunt tip which works really well with the holes in your Aida or evenweave fabric. If you use sharp needles you can easily push through the fabric between holes and your stitches may not look even.
As for size, it can depend on the fabric you are using, most beginners start on 14 count Aida cloth, for this (or the equivalent 28 count evenweave) you would use a size 24 needle. Do you have a different count fabric? Check out my full needle guide post to learn which sizes you should use for other counts as well as a number of useful hints and tips about needles.
5. Fabric
If you purchase a kit, they usually provide the fabric for you making this section super easy, if you are interested in purchasing your own fabric, then finding the right fabric can be overwhelming when you start to see all the options that are available. You can almost never go wrong with a basic white or cream coloured base however, so if you are starting out, this would be my recommendation. Then you need to consider the type and count of the fabric.
The most commonly used fabric is 14 count Aida or 28 count evenweave. 14 count fabric is the most suitable for starting out because it is easily available and you stitch over a single square making your stitches directly map to the grid marks on your pattern. I go into detail about how to use the different counts and fabrics including evenweave in my post on cross stitch fabric, so head over to that post to unlock a whole new level of stitching!
Final Thoughts
Now you are all set to get started! Still not sure about the next steps? How to start cross stitching for the first time can be challenging but check out our post on that very topic to help you make the next move and dive right in to the cozy and amazing world of cross stitching.
Already completed your first project and want to keep stitching and expand your collection of fun and useful tools? Check out our top 7 recommended cross stitching tools that are useful and fun!
